By Jeanni Ritchie
Christmas in the Kees in Pineville, Louisiana, is an annual holiday event held at Kees Park, featuring dazzling lights and Santa’s House throughout the month of December.
The lighted trails and Santa’s House turn an already extraordinary park into a winter wonderland for families.
From 5–8 p.m., families brought children to swing, slide, and tell Santa their secret wishes. Colorful lights were strung through the trees and wrapped around poles and gazebos, cheerful wooden displays dotted the grounds, and kids’ squeals of delight could be heard for miles around. I even visited Santa myself, assuring him I’d been mostly nice all year.
In addition to Christmas in the Kees, Kees Park hosts many annual events throughout the year, highlighting the City of Pineville’s ongoing commitment to Central Louisiana families.
Once home to the DMV where I got my driver’s license, Kees Park is now a community hub used for job fairs, civic group luncheons, and elections.
And in December… it becomes a magical satellite location of the North Pole!
